County Under 11: Last season
2008 Season
Wiltshire on Tour - Jersey 2008
Wiltshire U11's embarked on their first overseas tour of Jersey with much excitement and a little trepidation having not been involved in this festival before. Pitted against Jersey and Guernsey U12's and Dorset U11's who we had narrowly beaten during the regular season, we had cause for optimism and the boys were keen to get going after arriving on the Sunday night after safely negotiating the flight to Jersey without any mishap. Monday morning dawned and with it came high winds that would not cease until the Thursday morning of the tour. Arriving at the ground for the fixture against Guernsey we were greeted by a gorgeous ground and a flat wicket which looked full of runs.
It was then quite a large disappointment that we spent the first hour in the field providing Guernsey with a litany of wides, poor deliveries and missed chances in the field. Tom Wakeling steadied things down with an accurate and successful spell - taking 2 wickets as Wiltshire began to get a grip on their performance. Guernsey finished their 42 overs with a score of 194-9 and Wiltshire set about making amends with their run chase. However early wickets lost caused the boys to struggle and when Ewen Kenny went for 20 we were looking at a defeat. However Harry Collins with 23* set about turning things around and helped by nearly 50 extras Wiltshire were closing on the required total but ran out of overs and wickets and had to settle for a draw just 16 runs short.
A barbeque in the evening followed by a decent night's sleep set us up for the replay against Dorset and again we lost early wickets as the boys struggled to cope with the pace of the Dorset opening bowler Richardson. A recovery of sorts was staged until the spinners put a clamp on the innings and runs stopped flowing. However a fine innings from Collins, who made 39* this time, got us up to a respectable score before four breaks for rain ruined any chances of us completing the match with Wiltshire placed at 117-7.
Wednesday was T20 day and Wiltshire showed how they could play by destroying Guernsey in the first game. Batting first they made 94 in their 20 overs with Hywel Jones making 12 and Kyle George a determined 28*. A superb bowling and fielding performance followed which showed just how the boys could perform if they got it right. Great catches by Ewen Kenny, Luke Matthews and Kyle George were the highlights with wickets for Wakeling, Collins, Kenny and Matthews. Guernsey finished just short on 84. Unfortunately a break before their next match ruined concentration levels and a below par performance against Jersey in all aspects of the game left both coach and manager lost for words after the game. Batting first Wiltshire managed a paltry 62 and Jersey knocked these off for the loss of only 1 wicket. Poor shot selection and some inept calling meant that wickets were lost at regular intervals and no one took responsibility for compiling a decent innings and knocking the ball into gaps.
The last day of the tour was an opportunity to set things right as we were convinced that on paper we were a better side than Jersey. Playing the 40 over format again we scored 144 all out with Kenny making 29 and Will Pascall making a hard fought 23. A rash of wickets in the middle order was eased by Luke Matthews and Hywel Jones who put on 34 and the pair showed the other batters how to keep the scoreboard moving against spin. Sam Graham took his first county wicket with his second ball of the reply and Jersey were on the back foot when Kenny came on and tied the batsmen down instantly, taking a wicket in the process. Wiltshire battled hard but could not force further wickets and Jersey opted to bat for a draw with 65 needed from the final 12 overs with 5 wickets remaining. 1 further wicket fell to Olly Weaver but a result couldn't be forced and we had to settle for the better part of a draw.
Overall we felt that we should have won more games but a win, 2 draws and a defeat wasn't a bad record to achieve from the week and the boys represented Wiltshire to the best of their abilities and can be proud of their achievements. Thanks go to Steve George for stepping in to manage the U11's at the last minute and doing a great job of it, and for the support and assistance from Trudy George on tour with all the shopping and cooking arrangements.
Wiltshire v Devon - 31st July @ Westbury CC
Scorecard - Wiltshire entertained Devon at Westbury CC on the 31st July with the recent defeat to Berkshire still fresh in the memory. After being inserted, Wiltshire made a decent start posting 32 for the loss of one wicket in the first 15 overs. Jack Twine showed huge progress in terms of running between the wickets and he kept the scoreboard ticking over whilst setting the standard for his team-mates. However the introduction of spin put Wiltshire on the back foot and a combination of good bowling and bad batting contributed to the score plummeting to 55-7 with nobody playing a significant innings. The game seemed to be sliding away again until Ollie Weaver and Harry Colllins came together with 12 overs remaining. Batting sensibly and benefitting from Devon's decision to turn to medium pace bowler's they put on an undefeated 53 and managed to get Wiltshire up to 118 off their 40 overs.
This score was below par having aimed for a total of 150 but could have been significantly lower had it not been for this partnership. The team felt confident that with 4 spinners in the ranks and a wearing pitch at their disposal they could make it difficult for Devon. this did not seem the case as the two Devon openers showed a lot of class to ease to 45 in the first 15 overs. The introduction of Harry Collins' leg spin provided the breakthrough, inducing Devon's captain to play on, while Josh White's misfield caused havoc between the batsmen to pick up the 2nd wicket. With Will Pascall bowling well from the other end and Collins bowling beautifully the game was evenly balanced. Another wicket for Collins brought Devon down to needing 37 off the last 10 with 6 wickets in hand. Tom Foley returned to bowl into the breeze and picked up his first county wicket, athletically caught by Luke Matthews in the covers. This was a thoroughly deserved wicket for Foley having bowled well without much luck in the previous 2 games.
The team battled hard to stay in the game but a couple of sweetly timed boundaries in the 37th over took Devon over the line and condemned Wiltshire to a second successive defeat. The boys can hold their heads up after the performance in the field but there must be more responsibility showed by the batsmen to bat for long periods of time and build significant contributions - particularly against slow bowling.
Wiltshire lost by 5 wickets
Wiltshire v Berkshire - 17th July 2008 - Oratory School
Scorecard - Wiltshire were hosted by Berkshire at the superb surroundings of The Oratory School. With rain the whole week leading up to Thursday this fixture was in doubt, but to our great surprise match day arrived with overcast conditions and no rain. Credit must be given to the grounds lady for preparing a good wicket.
Wiltshire won the toss and put the opposition in. Wiltshire were able to restrict Berkshire to 52 for 1 in 20 overs. Pick of the bowling was Luke Mathews 4-1-4-0 and Tom Wakeling 2-0-2-1. Berkshire had settled in at the wicket and started accelerating playing shots all around the wicket, taking their score to 190 for 4 off 40 overs. Pick of the bowling was Josh White 7-1-22-1 and Tom Foley 6-0-30-0.
Wiltshire came out to bat with a big task ahead of them, all looked good in the first 5 overs taking the score to 12 before two quick wickets. Berkshire upped the pressure and Wiltshire lost wickets at regular intervals with none of the boys reaching double figures. The innings closed with Wiltshire on 62 all out.
Wiltshire v Dorset - 3rd July 2008 - Bournemouth CC
Wiltshire travelled down to Bournemouth after losing to a classy Gwent side the previous week looking to restore confidence and get back on the winning road. Losing the toss consigned the team to the field and the opening pair looked in no trouble as Dorset cruised along at 4 an over.
The introduction of Jake Ayrton provided the breakthrough as Dorset's high quality left hander inexplicably pulled a short ball back for a return catch. At 15 overs Dorset were threatening a big total but the introduction of Will Pascall and Tom Foley slowed things considerably. Both spinners bowled with beautiful control, particularly Pascall, although neither took a wicket the Dorset team struggled to get the ball away and ceased scoring altogether.
At 30 overs Wiltshire had pegged Dorset back to 78-2 and despite an excellent spell from Ewen Kenny, Dorset managed to scramble 50 runs off the last 10 overs to post 128-4. Pick of the bowlers was Will Pascall with figures of 8-4-11-0 but all four spinners deserved credit for strangling Dorset in mid-innings.
Wiltshire looked to be positive from the off and despite the loss of Kenny early on, Jake Goodwin and Iestyn Williams scored at a run a ball before the introduction of the Dorset spinners changed the game again. Goodwin fell first ball for a well made 20 and Williams was caught on the deep square leg boundary. Kyle George followed soon after and Wiltshire were staring down the barrel after losing 3 quick wickets. However Luke Matthews and Jake Ayrton settled things down with an extremely mature partnership which took the team up to 100. Unfortunately a clatter of wickets, including Matthews for an excellently made 27, shook the team and it was Hywel Jones who stepped up to the mark and made 20 not out to see us over the line by 2 wickets with overs to spare.
A good win against a strong Dorset team and a particularly pleasing bowling performance, followed by a positive run chase.
Wiltshire won by 2 wickets
Wiltshire V Gwent - 24th June 2008 - Llanarth
Scorecard - Wiltshire u11's played their second match of the season against Gwent at Llanarth Cricket Club which is noted for the beauty of its setting. Gwent won the toss and decided to bat on a good wicket with a fast outfield.
Wiltshire Captain and opening bowler Kyle George made earlier in roads taking 2 wickets for 2 runs in a 4 over spell. This was backed up well by Luke Mathews and Tom Wakeling with figures of 3-1-5-1. Gwent continued to keep the scoreboard ticking over. Wiltshire turned to their spin bowlers. Ewen Kenny and Ton Folley who played his first game for the county. The brakes were put on, Folley ending with figures of 8-2-22-0 and Kenny 8-0-42-3. wickets continued to fall regularly however Gwent opening batsman Jones was patient displacing the bad balls he scored 79 before been stumped by Jack Twine of the bowling of William Pascall. Gwent ended their innings on 172 for 7 off their 40 overs.
Wiltshire opening batsman Jack Twine and Jake Goodwin came out to bat against some very tight bowling by the Gwent opening bowlers, Harris in particular was very tight with figures of 5-0-6-2. Harry Collins joined Twine and was staring to settle before hitting a ball in the air and been caught at cover. Wiltshire were in a spot of bother with the score 35 for 3. William Pascall was next in and scored 22. Another 2 quick wickets to run outs by Gwent slowed things down. Kyle George and Jack Twine (36no) managed to put on 37 runs, Wiltshire ended well short on 121 for 6.
Wiltshire Lost by 51 runs
Wiltshire v South East Hants - 8th June 2008
Wiltshire Under 11's played their first game of the season against South East Hants at Habledon CC, a very historic club that has been around for more than 250 years. It took on the responsibility of developing the laws of modern-day cricket – including the introductions of length bowling and the addition of a third stump as well as the regulation of the bat width.
SE Hants won the toss and put Wiltshire in to bat. It was evident from the outset that batting was not going to be easy on this wicket as the ball stayed low from the start. Jack Twine and Jake Goodwin opened the batting scoring a slow but steady 15 runs before Jake played a ball in the air and was caught. This brought James Gaunt to the wicket, unfortunately he was caught without adding to the score. Ewen Kenny came and helped steady the ship with Jack, this partnership grew to 60 runs when Jack was bowled by a very good delivery for 23.
Ewen Kenny and Josh White (4) continued to add valuable runs before both were dismissed within a few balls of each other. Ewen Kenny top scored with 35. Luke Mathews was promoted up the order and scored a quick 17 runs. The innings closed with William Pascall 11 no and Kyle George 1 no. Wiltshire had managed to score 128 for 5 in 40 overs.
After the break Wiltshire had to field in very warm conditions. SE Hants lost their first wicket to Kyle George (with figures 5-1-12-1) with only 6 runs on the board. They were able to get to the first drinks break with 31 on the board with no further loss of wickets. After the drinks break Wiltshire came out with renewed vigour and determination to turn things around. In a 10 over spell 6 wickets fell for 19 runs. There was superb bowling from Luke Mathews who finished with figures of 5-3-2-3, Hywel Jones with figures of 6-1-19-1, Tom Wakeling with figures of 4-1-9-2 and Harry Collins with figures of 6-0-22-1 backed up by fantastic fielding.
Wiltshire's energy levels were flagging in the field, with temperatures reaching the mid twenties. The captain brought on off spinner Ewen Kenny and leg spinner William Pascall( with figures of 2-0-8-0) to slow things down. Ewen picked up 2 wickets giving figures of 3-0-7-2.
South East Hants were able to reach the healthy total of 110 all out.
This was a great win for Wiltshire u11's as it was the first ever40 over game for half of the boys.
Wiltshire won by 18 runs
